At our ninjutsu club, we trained with no-gi for about 5 years... went through at least a dozen t-shirts a year due to nage-kata training and sparring.
For nage kata I would highly recommend wearing a gi... gi's will last years longer than the equivilant amout of T-Shirts.
For sparring I would wear a t-shirt, so that you can get use to applying techniques in a slightly more realistic approach.

Am very old school and old ways. Judo as you know comes from Japan. Were Judo is still tough in the old ways. It would be considered very rude and disrespectful to the Dojo,fellow "KA"-students,and most of all the Sensei. It is your job as a KA to condition yourself to take the heat of the GI in the summer. + in the west there are many different wights to chews from. We need to remember that the Gi has a long past and many meanings in Marshal Arts and also should be respected just as you would a sword ect. I could look a Marshal Artist GI and tell a lot about that person. Look I could go on with history and weapons using the GI's but am not. But I will close with this. We as Martial Artis are slowly losing the past changing names for thing like studio for Dojo ect. If you want to lose the GI do it @ home we are Martial Artis lets look neat, clean and above all worthy of anyone's respect.

I myself, having recently returned from Japan have adopted the principle of wearing a full Gi to every training session.
I have purchased an extra 2 gi to make certain that I always have a fresh pair at hand.

I personally believe it shows respect to the art and everything it stands for.

I myself, having recently returned from Japan have adopted the principle of wearing a full Gi to every training session.
I have purchased an extra 2 gi to make certain that I always have a fresh pair at hand.

I personally believe it shows respect to the art and everything it stands for.

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Do you mind if I ask you why you believe it's a form of respect towards the art and it's meaning?

As an Aikidoka the tradition is a clean white Gi and Obi as appropriate to the school/grade, and a Hakama
( a Japanese split skirt/pants) usually black or dark blue is worn over the Gi by Sempai (senior kyu rank ) and Dan Grade.

In the Dojo, it's the Gi for everyone, and Hakama for those who wear it as part of their kit..
For myself and my number two we have a closed training session and so we put the Hakama aside as it affords us a bit of room to work.. still in Gi and Obi of course.

...although i am tempted to copy a friend of mine who replaced his white pants with black ones at his dojo, himself only.. to save time he told me.

but if throwing, some would be technically incorrect without sleeves ie:Morote Seoinage

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That and Sode Tsurikomi Goshi are the only two throws I can think of that can't be no-gi modified (can't do a Sleeve Lifting Pulling Hip Throw without sleeves!). Much more ne waza techniques inherently need to be executed with the gi, or more correctly with an uwagi.

My focus for this question is obviously for Judo, but I welcome input from other arts about training without their uniform and what their opinion is on that.

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Great question RJ!! In my gym out of respect if nothing else, we have got to buy a uniform by the time you finish pre-phase and go onto phase one. Anyone above this level will not be allowed to train without at least the tee shirt. You are sent home, this happens whether you are phase one right up to Black Belt. I go through about two t-shirts in three months, because our uniform is mainly black they fade in the wash and it doesn't help that mine get soaked through whilst training. But as I have already said to Ben....sweat is the fat in your body crying. Oh and the Black Belts especially cannot wear tatty or ripped tee shirts in class and our uniform must be perfectly ironed to show a good example to our lower level peers.......Love, peace and respects my martial friend xxXXxx

That and Sode Tsurikomi Goshi are the only two throws I can think of that can't be no-gi modified (can't do a Sleeve Lifting Pulling Hip Throw without sleeves!). Much more ne waza techniques inherently need to be executed with the gi, or more correctly with an uwagi.

Thank you all for your responses to this thread. Having a background in both traditional and eclectic martial arts, as well as various combat sports, not surprisingly I have a mixed opinion on this. I appreciate the uniform for what it represents while at the same time realizing that it is not necessary to wear the uniform to uphold those martial virtues, in or outside the dojo. The ritual of donning my gi was and is pleasant, especially when cinching the last half hitch on my obi. However, (to me) not wearing a gi unto itself is not disrespectful to myself or my training/arts.To quote Morihei Ueshiba “Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.” I make the parallel that your gi is not your art, nor is your dojo your art. Your art is inside you, and the dojo is anywhere you choose to train. You can train anytime without (too many) formalities. That’s just my viewpoint on the issue, not right or wrong and equal to all other opinions.

Haha! I had to be a bit careful when grip fighting and executing this throw. I provide comprehensive tree care services, primarily climbing, so my grip strength is pretty good from hip thrusting up trees (err, that's a technique of climbing w/o spikes to not damage the tree ) and other on the job grabbing/lifting. Not to mention my core fitness regimen focuses on lifts like cleans and deadlifts, both pretty good for your grippers!

Haha! I had to be a bit careful when grip fighting and executing this throw. I provide comprehensive tree care services, primarily climbing, so my grip strength is pretty good from hip thrusting up trees (err, that's a technique of climbing w/o spikes to not damage the tree ) and other on the job grabbing/lifting. Not to mention my core fitness regimen focuses on lifts like cleans and deadlifts, both pretty good for your grippers!

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I wouln't like to get gripped by you then that's for sure!! Wait that didn't sound right hahahaa......respects again RJ xxxXXxxx

Great question RJ!! In my gym out of respect if nothing else, we have got to buy a uniform by the time you finish pre-phase and go onto phase one. Anyone above this level will not be allowed to train without at least the tee shirt. You are sent home, this happens whether you are phase one right up to Black Belt. I go through about two t-shirts in three months, because our uniform is mainly black they fade in the wash and it doesn't help that mine get soaked through whilst training. But as I have already said to Ben....sweat is the fat in your body crying. Oh and the Black Belts especially cannot wear tatty or ripped tee shirts in class and our uniform must be perfectly ironed to show a good example to our lower level peers.......Love, peace and respects my martial friend xxXXxx

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This is exactlyvwhat I was saying. Thankyou for re-itterating my comment. Respecting ones appearance in the dojo.

I understand where this question is coming from I think. My Judo Class never trained without a Gi, partly out of respect, and partly because we were pretty competition focused. In my Aikijujutsu class, we trained a little without a Gi, and even with shoes on a couple of times, but in general we followed the previously mentioned Aikido guidelines. Now, learning the more pracitcal Pekiti Tersia Kali, we have a pretty relaxed "uniform". Traditionally, Pekiti folks wear Fatigue pants, and a T-shirt, usually with some Pekiti club or another on it. Normally I just wear what I am wearing all day, with the theory that if I'm learning how to defend myself, I don't want to say "hold on a sec Mr Mugger, I don't have the right pants on".

10th planet Jujitsu is breaking tradition by going primarily no Gi. That makes a lot of sense for their client base. They are modifying their training to reflect what their people need to know. A very commendable thing given the pull the traditionalists have.

I like that they are a neo-traditional martial art that is operating in an environment against piecemeal fighters who learn wrestling from one guy, Muai Thai from another, and a smattering of Jujitsu from yet another.

I want to drive a Ford with a Ford motor, not a Chevy with a Toyota motor, Buick transmission, and Hyundai Axels.

10th planet Jujitsu is breaking tradition by going primarily no Gi. That makes a lot of sense for their client base. They are modifying their training to reflect what their people need to know. A very commendable thing given the pull the traditionalists have.

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Unless Eddie Bravo has changed his training philosophy recently, 10th Planet JJ goes entirely no-Gi. Interestingly, however, if you look at the results of ADCC, even tho it is a no-Gi competition, the winners are usually those who spent a good deal of time studying with the Gi. My former BJJ instructor (who has a 50/50 split between gi and no-gi) has a theory that because there are so many more options with a gi and so many more submissions to defend against that it speeds up your thinking so that when you take the gi off your thinking is faster than had someone only trained no-gi.

I like that they are a neo-traditional martial art that is operating in an environment against piecemeal fighters who learn wrestling from one guy, Muai Thai from another, and a smattering of Jujitsu from yet another.

I want to drive a Ford with a Ford motor, not a Chevy with a Toyota motor, Buick transmission, and Hyundai Axels.

jim

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GSP trains striking with Phil Nurse, BJJ with John Danaher, and wrestling with Canadian Olympic wrestlers. Seems to work pretty well for him... lol